diff --git a/bin/swift-dispersion-report b/bin/swift-dispersion-report
index a055016b1e..fa4f8d45f5 100755
--- a/bin/swift-dispersion-report
+++ b/bin/swift-dispersion-report
@@ -305,7 +305,10 @@ Usage: %prog [options] [conf_file]
                       help='print 404s to standard error')
     parser.add_option('-p', '--partitions', action='store_true', default=False,
                       help='print missing partitions to standard error')
-
+    parser.add_option('--container-only', action='store_true', default=False,
+                      help='Only run container report')
+    parser.add_option('--object-only', action='store_true', default=False,
+                      help='Only run object report')
     options, args = parser.parse_args()
 
     conffile = '/etc/swift/dispersion.conf'
@@ -322,6 +325,12 @@ Usage: %prog [options] [conf_file]
     concurrency = int(conf.get('concurrency', 25))
     if options.dump_json or config_true_value(conf.get('dump_json', 'no')):
         json_output = True
+    container_report = config_true_value(conf.get('container_report', 'yes')) \
+        and not options.object_only
+    object_report = config_true_value(conf.get('object_report', 'yes')) \
+        and not options.container_only
+    if not (object_report or container_report):
+        exit("Neither container or object report is set to run")
     if options.debug:
         debug = True
 
@@ -339,11 +348,14 @@ Usage: %prog [options] [conf_file]
     container_ring = Ring(swift_dir, ring_name='container')
     object_ring = Ring(swift_dir, ring_name='object')
 
-    container_result = container_dispersion_report(
-        coropool, connpool, account, container_ring, retries,
-        options.partitions)
-    object_result = object_dispersion_report(
-        coropool, connpool, account, object_ring, retries, options.partitions)
+    output = {}
+    if container_report:
+        output['container'] = container_dispersion_report(
+            coropool, connpool, account, container_ring, retries,
+            options.partitions)
+    if object_report:
+        output['object'] = object_dispersion_report(
+            coropool, connpool, account, object_ring, retries,
+            options.partitions)
     if json_output:
-        print json.dumps({"container": container_result,
-                          "object": object_result})
+        print json.dumps(output)
diff --git a/doc/manpages/dispersion.conf.5 b/doc/manpages/dispersion.conf.5
index 0e96926b5a..8355304473 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/dispersion.conf.5
+++ b/doc/manpages/dispersion.conf.5
@@ -45,11 +45,17 @@ Authentication system account/user password
 .IP "\fBswift_dir\fR"
 Location of openstack-swift configuration and ring files
 .IP "\fBdispersion_coverage\fR"
-Percentage of partition coverage to use. The default is 1 
+Percentage of partition coverage to use. The default is 1.
 .IP "\fBretries\fR"
 Maximum number of attempts
 .IP "\fBconcurrency\fR"
-Maximum number of concurrencies to 
+Concurrency to use. The default is 25.
+.IP "\fBdump_json\fR"
+Whether to output in json format. The default is no.
+.IP "\fBcontainer_report\fR"
+Whether to run the container report. The default is yes.
+.IP "\fBobject_report\fR"
+Whether to run the object report. The default is yes.
 .RE
 .PD
 
@@ -65,6 +71,8 @@ Maximum number of concurrencies to
 .IP "# retries = 5"
 .IP "# concurrency = 25"
 .IP "# dump_json = no"
+.IP "# container_report = yes"
+.IP "# object_report = yes"
 .RE
 .PD 
 
diff --git a/doc/manpages/swift-dispersion-report.1 b/doc/manpages/swift-dispersion-report.1
index 414e280d63..2b0ffcd796 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/swift-dispersion-report.1
+++ b/doc/manpages/swift-dispersion-report.1
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .LP
-.B swift-dispersion-report [-d|--debug] [-j|--dump-json] [-p|--partitions] [conf_file]
+.B swift-dispersion-report [-d|--debug] [-j|--dump-json] [-p|--partitions] [--container-only|--object-only] [conf_file]
 
 .SH DESCRIPTION 
 .PP
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ output dispersion report in json format
 .IP "\fB-p, --partitions\fR"
 output the partition numbers that have any missing replicas
 
+.SH OPTIONS
+.RS 0
+.PD 1
+.IP "\fB--container-only\fR"
+Only run the container report
+
+.SH OPTIONS
+.RS 0
+.PD 1
+.IP "\fB--object-only\fR"
+Only run the object report
+
 .SH CONFIGURATION
 .PD 0 
 Example \fI/etc/swift/dispersion.conf\fR: 
diff --git a/doc/source/admin_guide.rst b/doc/source/admin_guide.rst
index 9392a3d012..b1d00fa364 100644
--- a/doc/source/admin_guide.rst
+++ b/doc/source/admin_guide.rst
@@ -254,6 +254,18 @@ place and then rerun the dispersion report::
     100.00% of object copies found (7857 of 7857)
     Sample represents 1.00% of the object partition space
 
+You can also run the report for only containers or objects::
+
+    $ swift-dispersion-report --container-only
+    Queried 2621 containers for dispersion reporting, 17s, 0 retries
+    100.00% of container copies found (7863 of 7863)
+    Sample represents 1.00% of the container partition space
+
+    $ swift-dispersion-report --object-only
+    Queried 2619 objects for dispersion reporting, 7s, 0 retries
+    100.00% of object copies found (7857 of 7857)
+    Sample represents 1.00% of the object partition space
+
 Alternatively, the dispersion report can also be output in json format. This 
 allows it to be more easily consumed by third party utilities::
 
diff --git a/etc/dispersion.conf-sample b/etc/dispersion.conf-sample
index 79ceac6542..d42cf35434 100644
--- a/etc/dispersion.conf-sample
+++ b/etc/dispersion.conf-sample
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ auth_key = testing
 # dispersion_coverage = 1
 # retries = 5
 # concurrency = 25
+# container_report = yes
+# object_report = yes
 # dump_json = no